A thirty year old man from Crooked Tree village in the Belize District is tonight fighting for his life after he was bitten by a crocodile. Devin Swasey was diving for fish in the Crooked Tree Lagoon near Blackburn when he was attacked by what is being described as a 9 foot crocodile. Friends who were on the fishing expedition with Swasey managed to rescue him from the jaws of the crocodile, got him to a vehicle and drove him to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Devin Swasey is now in a sedated condition and is being prepared to transfer to the intensive care unit.

VIDEO: In his own words ... A Crooked Tree man tells how a crocodile almost killed Devin Swasey.

Crooked Tree resident Devin Swasey, 30, is in an induced coma following an encounter with a large crocodile on Thursday. Swasey and two other persons were spear fishing in the Blackburn area of the Crooked Tree Lagoon around 2 pm on Thursday when he was grabbed by what has been described as a large crocodile. Swasey was dragged under water and was submerged for a lengthy period of time before being rescued. He sustained multiple bites, including to his head, hands and shoulder.

Sad for the young man , butNow I'm worried that this rare and endangered species might suffer from a witch hunt of hysterical villagers.Morelet’s crocodileMorelet'sconservation statusCrocodylus moreletii is listed as Conservation Dependant on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Victim of Crocodile attack wakes up from induced coma

Devin Swasey

A Crooked Tree man is slowly recovering at the K.H.M.H. after he was attacked by a crocodile, believed to be up to fourteen feet in length. It happened last week in the Crooked Tree Lagoon, which Devin Swasey is familiar with since he earns his living from spear fishing. News Five’s Andrea Polanco reports.

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

Thirty year old Devin Swasey remains hospitalized in the K.H.M.H. after he was attacked by a crocodile on Thursday afternoon around two. He was in an induced coma following the incident but today his mother says he is recovering.

Elsa Swasey, Mother of Devin Swasey

“Well, right now he is improving and ih di tek ih rest. He tell wi how ih wah go home and ih sista tell ah he must not worry fi go home right now because he gone through wah heavy fight he and the alligator. Suh deh tell ah as soon as he get betta he gwein home.”

Andrea Polanco

“To which parts of his body did he receive injuries?”

Elsa Swasey

“On his head and forehead and shoulder.”

Swasey and two other men were in the Blackburn area of the Crooked Tree Lagoon, spear fishing when he was mauled by what his family says was a huge croc.

Elsa Swasey

Elsa Swasey

“Well they tell me that when they mi deh together in the waata ih say that ih hear like fish beat; heart beat and ih wah go si how the fish deh stand and when ih gone deh nuh si ah again so they say deh have to guh look fi ah and when they gone deh nuh si ah and fi wah lee while deh si like wah lee bubbles di come up and when they look deh si ih head and when deh pick up ah ih partly done dead. They had to pump ah and dah suh ih come up back.”

Andrea Polanco

“So did his friends see the crocodile?”

Elsa Swasey

“Yes.”

Andrea Polanco

“How big did they say it was?”

Elsa Swasey

“About fourteen feet.”

While all three are seasoned spear fishermen and familiar with the waters in the Blackburn area; this is a risk they take to earn their living.

Andrea Polanco

“Is this the first time they are seeing a crocodile back there?”

Elsa Swasey

“No, all the time.”

Andrea Polanco

“So of course, it’s a risk that they take?”

Elsa Swasey

“Aha, yes, it’s a risk because all the time they see them.”

Andrea Polanco

“First time they are being attacked by one?”

Elsa Swasey

“Yeah.”

Andrea Polanco

“Now do they do spear fishing as a part of their livelihood; is that what they do?”

Elsa Swasey

“Yes, yes, that’s his life.”

Andrea Polanco

“Now, from what I understand, he takes care of you and his nieces and nephews?”

Elsa Swasey

“Yes, he’s my bread basket.”

And while he almost lost his life; Swasey says this near tragic incident won’t stop her son from earning an income.